Burntwoods Bridge Club has kept friends in touch for 25 years

NEIGHBORS

Make new friends and keep the old might be the motto of the Burntwoods Bridge Club, which has met in Glenwood continuously for the past 25 years.

The first monthly club meeting was in June 1968, and since then the club has missed only two meetings because of foul weather, and one because of vacations.

This group of friends plays bridge, chats during lunch and enjoys each other's company. When a regular player leaves, another friend takes her place. Some members date their friendships at more than 50 years.

How serious is the bridge? Once the group continued to play by candlelight when the electricity went off. On another occasion, the bridge games continued when Norma Kohne's house was struck by lightning.

At a meeting Tuesday, Janet Oaks, Liz Miller, Frances Sharp, Mrs. Kohne, Mae Musgrove, Elmira Seibert, Catharine O'Neil and Leslie Crosen all wrote paragraphs in letters to former club members who now live in Florida and Virginia. They began writing monthly letters to distant members about 15 years ago and look forward to the correspondence from their former compatriots.

Mrs. Oaks, Mrs. Sharp and Mrs. Kohne are among the charter members of the club. The ladies celebrate birthdays, retirements, births and holidays informally. Each summer they gather twice at the Mount Airy home of charter member Mary Cage for a swim party and luncheon. It wasn't until January that the group started to meet during the day, because most of them were employed full-time.

Six of the members are retired teachers, one is a retired nurse, and Elmira Seibert is legendary for her former job as a nutritionist and fabulous cook at Glenelg High School. All are homemakers, and those who are grandmothers enjoy boasting about some extraordinary grandchildren.

The Burntwoods Bridge Club is a wonderful example of the congeniality, continuity and neighborliness of Western Howard County.

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Basic cooks and gourmet chefs will delight in the new Clarksville Middle School cookbook, "A Taste of Clarksville." With more than 550 recipes from CMS staff, parents and local celebrities, a read through this book will make you drool.

The Clarksville Middle School PTA sponsored the publication of the book to raise money to support student projects at the school. It's on sale now for $10.50 plus tax.

You may purchase it from Chris Coale, who put this project together. Call her at 531-3586. You might want to buy several for holiday gifts or as a hostess gift for Thanksgiving.

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Clarksville Middle School will hold a family Harvest festival at the school 7 p.m. tomorrow.

It promises to be a busy evening with the school chorus performing, teachers presenting one-act plays, pumpkin decorating, games, country dancing, face painting and an apple and pumpkin bake-off. You can buy your cookbooks there, too. Call the school at 313-7057 for more information.

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Things are changing in the public schools. Along with the possibility of year-round schools, there are changes in scheduling at many high schools. Glenelg High will have a seminar on alternative scheduling at the school at 7:30 p.m. Monday.

The administration invites students, parents and staff to attend. Call the school at 313-5528 for more information.

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Saturdays and Sundays in November from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., River Hill Garden Center will have free drop-in holiday decorating workshops for children 12 and younger. Every weekend they will have a different ornament for your child to make. With the purchase of a wreath, your child can decorate his wreath with a free bow and pine cones. Call River Hill Garden Center at 531-3303 for more information.

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It was Scott Conroy Day recently at Mount View Middle School. Mr. Conroy, who is a sixth grade mathematics teacher at the school, was named one of the nation's 100 outstanding first-year teachers.

Last year, Mr. Conroy was selected as the recipient of Howard County's Sallie Mae First Year Teacher of the Year Award. On his day, students and staff wore buttons proclaiming "I know Scott Conroy." The school band serenaded him, and Mr. Conroy was a star for a day.

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You may purchase Entertainment books from the Pointers Run Elementary School PTA. This organization is selling Entertainment books and Howard County Dine and Fun Book ($15), the 1993-1994 Gold "C" coupon book ($10), and a Taste of Baltimore ($25).

When you buy these money savers, you support your local school and help yourself to some real buys. Call the school at 313-7142 or Sheldon Davis at (301)776-2716 to find out how to order your discount books.

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St. James United Methodist Church is having its Christmas Bazaar Saturday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. The church is at the intersection of routes 32 and 99.